Michael f



Nrrn STATES ATENT Brion,

MICHAEL F. LAUGHLIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAUTERY-ELECTRODE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,971, dated May 7, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL F. LAUGHLIN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means and Methods for the Gastration of Animals, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan or flatwise View .of the instrument made use of. Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section of the resisting-bar on the plane denoted by the dotted line 00 m. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating my use of an elastic compressor.

The letter a denotes a loop of platinum wire, held and supported by the handle 17, which may be of hard rubber, wood or other suitable material. At about the points a the platinum wire is joined. to wires'that are made of some material that is agood conductor of electricity, as copper or iron. These copper wires traverse the length of the handle, properly insulated, and by means of the binding-screws 0 c are attached to conductors d d, leading from the voltaic cell (or other electrical generator), e.

The letter f denotes what may be properly termed a resisting-bar, made of hard rubber or the like. The wires of the looparun through it on their way to the handle b. On one side or on both it, preferably, has a groove f to furnish ready grasp forthe thumb and fingers of the hand that holds it. An edge of this resisting-bar (the upper edge according to the position of the drawings), has a groove 11 for the reception of the loop a at the proper time, its purpose being to insure the perfection of the 'severing and cauterizing operations which are performed by the aid of this instrument. By sending a sufficient electric current from the electrical generator through Application filed March '7, 1894. Serial No. 502,613. (No model.)

grasping the handle b with the other hand he draws that handle and the loop backward, until the loop sits squarely in the groove t'. The effect of this operation is to perform the eastration, and also to sear the fleshy stump.

I have spoken of the loop as being made of platinum wire. Any other material will answer that has sufficient strength, and which, like platinum,is heated to a very high degree by the passage of an electric current forced through the same; and where I use the expression platinum in the claims of this application, I mean to be understoodas embracing all such equivalents.

I claim as my improvement 1. In combination, the platinum-wire loop, the loop handle, the resisting-bar sliding on the loop, and the-electric circuit wires, all substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, the platinum-wire loop, the loop handle, the movable resisting-bar, provided with the peripheral groove, to take in the cauterizing-Wire, and the electric circuit wires all substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

MICHAEL F. LAUGHLIN. Witnesses:

A. O. TANNER, N. L. FROTHINGHAM. 

